Fooling Around
by FrameofMind
Summary: AU. Burned one too many times in the ‘pursuit of happiness’, Sango abandons the search for true love in favor of a new, less 'conventional' sort of relationship. Funny how the minute you stop looking for something, you inevitably find it... MirSan


Author's Note: Well what can I say? I writing this story for a couple of reasons: 1) because I wanted to try my hand at a Mir/San, since I think they're totally capable of carrying a plot, and there aren't nearly as many Mir/San AUs out there (compared to Inu/Kag), and 2) because this premise slipped into my head late one night as I was falling asleep and it sounded like so much fun that I got out of bed and sat at my computer for the next couple of hours typing up this chapter.

I actually wrote a prologue that I had intended to have precede this chapter, setting up the story and characters a bit more, but at the last minute I decided it didn't quite have the tone that I wanted it to, which this chapter did. Therefore, I'm modifying the format by posting this as the first chapter and filling in the blanks later, instead of putting everything up front in a prologue. You'll get what I mean as things go disclaimer: Consider this forewarning that this story will deal with certain 'adult' subjects (one in particular, as the title suggests), but I honestly believe that I will remain within guidelines for that sort of content. If anything crosses that line, I assure you that it is completely unintentional, merely a mistake in judgment on my part. Therefore, I would very much appreciate it if people would let me know if they think I'm stepping outside the boundaries of the story's rating, because I _really_ don't want to get into trouble…(--grin--)

Real Life Disclaimer: I nearly forgot this thing again… Anyway, nope, don't own the characters or anything – only the plot. Please don't sue!

**Fooling Around**

Chapter 1: Something New

"Good night," Sango called cheerfully through the small gap in the doorway through which she observed her date as he gave her a jaunty wave and set off down the hall.  
  
The moment she'd closed the door her friendly facade disappeared with an irritably weary sigh as she slumped back against it. _Oh my god, this is getting ridiculous,_ she thought. Then, as though she had meant to do it all along, she dumped her coat and purse on the nearest chair, snatching up the phone and hitting the first speed-dial number.  
  
After two impatiently regarded rings, a man's voice answered, "Hello?"  
  
"Miroku, are you busy? I need to talk to you," she said, not bothering to introduce herself -- no introduction was necessary.  
  
"Your date's over already? It's only nine o'clock," he answered curiously, to which she replied in a grumble.  
  
"What do you think I want to talk to you about?"  
  
"Ah, gotcha -- I'll be there in ten minutes."  
  
"Perfect," she replied.  
  
Replacing the phone on the hook, Sango opted to leave her coat and purse where she'd dropped them in favor of heading into her bedroom to change. It was a relief like no other to finally be free of the restrictive skirt and top, not to mention the bane of every sane woman's existence -- pantyhose. She slipped into a nice loose fitting pair of grey drawstring lounge pants and a grey-blue tank top and padded back into the kitchen to put on a pot of water for tea.  
  
Just then there was a knock at the door, and Sango went to answer it.  
  
"You're late," she said by way of greeting to the brown-haired man.  
  
He smiled and shook his head, countering, "By about two minutes -- gimmie a break!"  
  
The woman crossed her arms and glared at him in mock disdain, giving him a long-suffering sigh and replying smugly, "That's not the point. How can I ever trust you if you don't follow through?"  
  
"Well, if that's how you really feel-" he teased, turning as though to leave.  
  
But she grabbed his arm and said, "Fine, you win this one -- Just shut up and get in here."  
  
He let her drag him into the apartment, shedding his dark brown corduroy coat as she led the way into the kitchen. Taking a seat at the round wooden table, he watched her as she went to check on the teakettle.  
  
"So, what happened this time?" he began in good humor, settling back for what he knew would most likely be a significant rant. Sango had a habit of calling him up to vent every once in a while after a bad day, and he could tell from her demeanor at present that tonight's date must have been a doozie.  
  
"Ugh, don't even ask," she began with a wry shake of her head. "It started out alright I guess -- his name is Mark and he works in the legal department at the publishing house. He's about six-foot-two and leanly built with blonde hair and blue eyes -- you know, the Brad Pitt type. Anyway, we had a really nice dinner at this new restaurant downtown -- have you ever been to Girard's?"  
  
"Mm, is that the one on fifth?"  
  
"No, that's Garibaldi's. Girard's is over on Park, near Rockefeller Center."  
  
"Oh yeah...I haven't been there but I've heard of it."  
  
"It was really excellent. You and I should go there sometime -- you'd love it."  
  
"Anyway, you were saying?" he prompted.  
  
"Oh, right -- so we were getting along really well and having a fascinating conversation, and I was flirting with him and everything -- you know, doing the whole 'accidentally-brushing-his-hand-when-I-reach-for-the-salt' thing and whatnot -- and he was flirting back. Of course it was right around the time the waiter brought us our dessert when Mark said something to the effect of 'I really should bring my wife here one of these days.'"  
  
"Ah," Miroku replied, eyebrows raised. "Well that's not so good now is it."  
  
"You can say that again. Of course the way he said it he obviously thought I already knew he was married, but when I nearly choked on a bite of soufflé I think he realized that that wasn't quite the case.  
  
"And that's not even the worst part! After we'd cleared up the misunderstanding and determined that he was indeed married -- and I might add that that fact didn't seem to faze him in the slightest -- he actually went on to suggest that the two of us should 'go back to my place.' It was all I could do to keep from losing it right there in the restaurant, but I didn't want to make a scene, and besides, I figured the best way to get rid of him would be to 'politely' decline and end the date as swiftly as possible. Even so he was pretty persistent -- I only managed to get him to go away once he had seen me all the way to my apartment door, and even _then_ I had to maneuver to keep him out."  
  
"Man, that is a bad date," Miroku agreed.  
  
"Tell me about it," Sango said wryly as she slumped into the chair opposite him. "Honestly, what is it with you men anyway? Are you all just insane, or is it just that I seem to be running into all the bad apples lately?"  
  
Her friend chuckled and rested his chin on his hand, answering, "Well, I'm pretty sure we're not all insane, but then being a man myself -- and thus insane, if your theory is correct -- I suppose I'm not the most credible source for such information."  
  
Sango laughed lightly at that and shook her head, then sighed, leaning back in her chair. "But seriously, this kind of thing has been happening a lot lately. I mean, not necessarily the _married_ thing, but it seems like every guy I've gone out with in the past few months either has some fatal flaw or else turns out to just be a complete jerk."  
  
She paused dropping her gaze thoughtfully to her hands, which rested upon the tabletop, and then asked uncertainly. "Is it just me? Am I like some sort of lighting rod for jackasses or something?"  
  
"Of course not," Miroku said, all at once sincere. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"Because if every guy I've gone out with is either a liar or a jerk or both and, as we've already determined, that is not the norm for the entire male population, then it stands to reason that the problem lies with me. Maybe I'm the one who's messed up. For god's sake Miroku, do you realize how long it's been since I've even slept with a guy? Six months. In six months I haven't found one single person that I could even _think_ about sleeping with -- those are _not_ good odds."  
  
"Hey come on," the man said bracingly, moving to the chair beside her in order to put a comforting arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against him in response. "Sango, you are an amazing woman -- probably the strongest, most loving and intelligent woman I know -- and I don't want to hear you doubting that, ever. You are going to find someone to care about, someone who'll be able care about you and love you -- I'm absolutely positive of that. You're just in a bit of a dry spell at the moment, but it will pass -- you'll see."  
  
She smiled weakly and replied softly, "Thanks -- I really needed to hear that," as she slipped her arms around his waist and just let him hold her for a little while.  
  
Sighing once more, however, she added, "But I'm starting to think I need to take a break from dating for awhile -- it's just too stressful and too disappointing all the time. I just want things to be simple for once -- no complications, no hassles of flirting and trying to read the hints and the signs and all that crap. And I don't want to have to balance things and worry about maintaining a serious relationship either. God, I'm just so tired of it all."  
  
"I know exactly what you mean," Miroku agreed with a wry chuckle.  
  
Sango snuggled a bit closer into his side letting her eyes drift shut, enjoying the easy contact between them. It was so nice to be able to just be with someone without having to worry about nit-picky things -- how she was dressed, what her hair looked like, being witty and funny and putting up a front. That was what she'd always loved about their relationship -- it was so simple, so comfortable. Friendship was so much easier than romance. "If only there was a way to have all the benefits without all the complications," she mused wistfully.  
  
He seemed to hesitate slightly before speaking. "Yeah," he sighed in response, and something in his tone of voice made her open her eyes once more, lifting her head to regard him thoughtfully. He met her gaze with equal pensiveness.  
  
She swallowed. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she whispered at last, her voice somewhat low and suggestive.  
  
His eyebrow quirked at the apparent proposition. "I'm game if you are," was his reply.  
  
After a mere moment's pause, during which the very air seemed thick with the tension of the decision they were contemplating, the two suddenly found themselves locked in a scorching kiss. He brought his free hand up to caress the side of her face and drag her closer as his lips moved over hers with abandon, all thought fast escaping the pair of them as instinct took over. She nibbled at his lower lip seductively, running her tongue over its edge and evoking from him a soft moan of longing that made her smile against him. His arms eventually found their way around her waist and he pulled her to her feet as she linked her arms around his neck, never once breaking the kiss.  
  
Clumsily, stumbling into the table and a chair or two, and even one of the walls, as neither of them was able to see where they were going, they made their way down the hall to Sango's bedroom door, which Miroku pressed her up against, his hands roaming over her without restraint, slipping beneath the fabric of her tank top to caress her flesh. Meanwhile Sango was busy tugging at the hem of the man's t-shirt, dragging it upward, breaking the kiss only briefly to pull it over his head and toss it aside. Then she explored the toned plains of his chest and shoulders as he closed the distance between them once more.  
  
He trailed kisses over her jaw and down her slender neck to her shoulder and she 'mmm'ed with desire as his teeth and tongue toyed with the exposed flesh at her collarbone.  
  
At last, both of them panting for breath, Miroku lifted his head to look into her eyes somewhat anxiously. "This is a really bad idea, you know. I mean, _really_ insane..."  
  
"I know," she breathed, nodding in agreement, her chest rising and falling rapidly, "Worst idea ever."  
  
And once more she captured his lips with hers heatedly, pressing the length of her body flush against his, and throwing caution to the winds. Miroku fumbled for the doorknob and the pair stumbled into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them.

* * *

"Wow..." was all Miroku could manage as he lay sprawled on his back, his arm flung wearily across his forehead.  
  
"I know..." the woman replied from his left, equally spent. Neither one of them had enough energy to move so much as a inch, so they merely lay there staring up at the ceiling, tangled in the denim blue sheets, the down comforter having long since been dumped onto the floor due to the enthusiasm of their 'activities'.  
  
As the silence between them stretched on, the reality of the situation became more and more evident, both parties slowly coming to the realization of exactly what had taken place. Each moment that ticked by began to make the situation just that much more awkward. Sango swallowed and bit her lip as anxiety crept into her visage. _Holy shit, I just slept with Miroku...crap..._  
  
At last Miroku glanced apprehensively over toward her profile before returning his gaze to the ceiling and releasing a whispered breath. "Shit..."  
  
"Miroku," Sango began hesitantly, turning her face to his, "Did we just make the worst mistake of our lives?"  
  
He met her gaze with uncertainty. "I don't know," he murmured.  
  
"I mean, are things just going to be awkward between us now? Because I really don't want that to happen -- god, Miroku, you're my best friend. I don't want to lose you because of this."  
  
He smiled at that and shifted onto his side, resting his head against his hand to look down into her face. Running a soothing hand along her exposed arm, he was pleased to see a bit of the tension in her expression disappear. "You won't -- I promise. The important thing is that we figure out where we stand on this whole thing so it doesn't come between us. I don't want to lose you either."  
  
"You're absolutely right," she agreed, shifting into a position that mirrored his own so they were face to face. "We should just talk this whole thing out."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Right." There was a brief pause, neither of them sure of where to begin. At last Sango said, "Alright, so you start. What are you thinking?"  
  
"What am I thinking?" he repeated.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, what's your take on what happened; where do we go from here?"  
  
"Well...First of all, it was great -- I mean really, _really_ great--"  
  
"Absolutely," she agreed with a nod.  
  
"--and as far as what to do now...honestly, Sango, I don't really know. What do you think?"  
  
The brown-haired woman heaved a thoughtful sigh, eyes tilted toward the ceiling as though considering her answer. "Well, you remember what I said before about not dating for awhile...the thing is I just don't want to try to turn our relationship into something romantic, because you know what happens -- if things didn't work out there'd be no going back, you know? I mean, even when you say you'll 'still be friends' you never actually are."  
  
"Right."  
  
"And besides, I meant what I said about taking a break. I just don't think I can handle being in that kind of relationship right now."  
  
"That makes perfect sense."  
  
"But...the thing is...oh god, tell me if you think this idea is absolutely insane, but...I don't see why we couldn't have the best of both worlds."  
  
He quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, eying her with a puzzled sort of expression. "What do you mean, exactly?"  
  
"Well," she ventured, biting her lip, "I mean, we're both agreed that we don't want a romantic relationship, but I think we also agree that we've got something pretty damn good here. What if...what if we were to maintain our friendship but keep sleeping together at the same time?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Think about it -- we know each other, we trust each other, and it would take the pressure off our respective romantic lives. We could feel free to date whenever and whomever we like and not have to worry about that whole 'aspect' of the game so much because we'd always have each other to fall back on. It could be like a hobby...sort of."  
  
Miroku, for his part, could barely believe his ears. Sango, his best friend, a woman he'd known since college, who had once been notorious for slapping him when his roving hands had gotten the better of him, was offering him a relationship that involved friendship, no romantic commitment, and sex with no strings attached -- and she expected him to think it would be a bad idea? Hell, what could be better? "Are you sure you're okay with this, Sango?" he questioned skeptically.  
  
"Positive. I know it's a little unconventional, especially for me--"  
  
"You can say that again."  
  
"--but the way I see it, 'conventional' hasn't really been working for me lately. It's about time I tried something new for a change. Besides, as long as we're both agreed that it's platonic, I see no reason why we shouldn't go on like this."  
  
"Well, in that case...I think it's an excellent idea," he replied with a shrug.  
  
"Good." She grinned, a hint of mischief lighting her eyes. "So uh...what do you think would be the best way to...ah..._initiate_ our new relationship?"  
  
His smile matched hers as he shifted closer, the hand that had been on her arm sliding down to rest on her thigh. "Oh, I dunno...I could think of a few things..."

* * *

A/N: Just to let you guys know, since I'm writing this more for my own recreation than to draw scads of reviews (since I know Mir/San fics don't have quite as large a following as Inu/Kag), I may be a bit lax on the updates at times (not that that's anything new…). This one is going to be more inspiration-driven than schedule-driven. But, that's not written in stone – if this one takes off I'll definitely give it more attention.

(--shrugs--) Anyway, let me know if you like it!

P.S. By the way, let me assure you, just because I'm planning to go slower on this one doesn't mean I won't finish it. It's my policy to finish every fic I post, and that won't change (--grin--).


End file.
